The Gathering Place

(Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Saving Private Ryan nor am I making any money off of this. I was just sitting around wondering what happened after you died and out came this story. Since I have never died I do not know what happens after you die. But I've often wondered what happens, haven't you?)

He stood in a misty haze trying to adjust his eyes. There was nothing to see, nothing to fix his eyes on and he wondered where he was and how he had gotten there.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice seeming to echo off of nothing. "Hello? Is anybody there?" he pleaded.

From a distance he could hear footsteps drawing closer. Through the mist he could just make out a distant figure approaching. As it came closer he could see that the figure was wearing OD fatigues and a helmet just like him.

"Who's there?" he asked apprehensively now beginning to regret that he had called out.

"Is that you, Wade?" a voice emanated from the figure, a voice he recognized.

"Caparzo?" he gasped in astonishment.

Private Adrian Caparzo walked up to him and smiled down. Gone was any look of pain or sadness. From his face radiated joy. "T-4 Medic Irwin Wade," Caparzo chuckled delighted to see him. "I am surprised to see you so soon. I was actually hoping not to see you for another fifty or sixty years."

Wade looked at him slack jawed. "Caparzo, I watched you die! A sniper shot you through the chest and you bled to death in the rain!"

"I did?" Caparzo puzzled for a moment. "Oh, yeah, now I remember," he nodded. "I had that little French girl in my arms and Captain Miller snatched her out seconds before the bullet struck me. I'm glad he did. I would have hated for her to die. So -- tell me what happened to you. How did you die?"

"Our squad came across a German radar nest and we took it. That's when -- wait a minute," he stopped, moving his hands over his chest feeling around on it. "There's no bullet holes. I'm not bleeding. I got hit three, no … no, wait - four times in the chest. One of the bullets severed the spine in my lower back and another hit my liver. I asked for morphine. I asked for morphine three times. Those poor guys didn't realize they were giving me an overdose."

"You knew three doses would kill you, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I simply fell asleep and stopped breathing," he stopped for a moment unsure of how to feel. "I wasn't any good to anybody paralyzed. They would have had to carry me back. I was paralyzed and a hindrance to our objective. God, those poor guys had to watch me die." Lowering his eyes he sighed sadly.

"And now you're here."

"Yes, now I'm here," he said matter-of-factly. "But, where exactly is here?" Wade questioned looking at Caparzo for an answer "There's nothing here, at least nothing that I can see."

"There's something here," Caparzo grinned knowingly. "It's just not meant for you to see it just yet."

Wade was the puzzled one now. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see," mused Caparzo. "Come, walk with me," he motioned with his head.

The two soldiers walked side by side. Slowly, Wade began to make out something. The mist seemed to part revealing six soldiers standing around a body. Wade watched curiously.

"What's this?" he asked Caparzo.

"Your death. See how much they cared for you? How much Captain Miller cared for you."

As though in a strange time warp he watched as they made the German soldier dig Wade's grave and argue as he walked blindfolded away. He was touched as he watched Captain Miller weep thinking no one saw him. Reaching out he touched Miller's shoulder to comfort him and was surprised when Miller turned in his direction. "I'm sorry, Wade," Miller spoke into the air. "You were the best damned medic I ever knew. I should have made you stay back with Upham. Damn," he cursed himself before wiping the tears away to gather himself.

"Did he see me?" Wade asked looking up at Caparzo confused.

"No, just sensed you. It's quite common for the spirit to hover around the dead body for a short time after death. Look what they're doing now," Caparzo pointed.Wade watched as they placed his shrouded body into the ground and covered it over with dirt. "Come on, there's nothing more for us to do now but wait."

"Wait for what?"

"For the rest of the squad," Caparzo explained as they walked back into the mist.

"How long will we wait?"

"Who know, hopefully decades, then they can tell us about their families when they get here."

Wade snickered at the thought. "I'll look forward to that," he smiled as Caparzo also smiled and patted his shoulder

In eternity there is no comprehension of time so Wade had no idea how long he had been waiting when he heard another voice.

"Hello?" the voice called out. "Hello? Is anybody here?"

"Who's that?" Wade asked.

"Let's go find out, shall we?" Caparzo grinned.

"Oh, Lord – you said you would never forsake me but I feel forsaken. Is anybody here? Wait! Who's there? Who are you?"

Wade walked beside Caparzo towards the figure. "Now that sounds like Jackson," he grinned.

"It is," he answered Wade but than addressed the waiting figure. "You're not alone and you're not forsaken," he answered the sniper.

"Daniel Boone Jackson," Wade looked up his puzzled face. "I was hoping I wouldn't see you for another fifty or sixty years."